Offering compelling chemistry between leading actors, an intriguing storyline, humorous supporting characters, plenty of action and suspense the 2019/20 tv series, “Crash Landing on You” is my recommendation as a binge-worthy introduction to KDrama.
The Plot. While paragliding a freak wind lands a young South Korean cosmetic and fashion mogul on the North side of Korea’s DMZ where she is discovered by a North Korean patrol captain. After debating whether to “just shot her or turn her in”, Captain Ri (Hyun Bin) decides to hide Se-ri (Son Ye-Jin) in the village where he lives and eventually see that she gets safely home to Seoul. Guess what? They fall in love. And with a plot much more complex than the average romantic comedy, we have a lot of fun watching them do it.
CLOY is one of the most successful, if not the most internationally successful Kdrama tv series to date. Its talented team of writers, director, and cast creates a delightful love story within the backdrop of North and South Korea. Well placed touches of humor and action, fascinating characters such as village ajummas (sometimes translated as “aunties”), and quirky North Korean army squad members tug at our heartstrings and give us not only an exciting emotional roller coaster ride but also interesting cultural insights into both North and South Korea.
A strong factor in this series’ success is that one of the writers, Kwak Moon-wan, is a North Korean defector. After defecting Kwak used the film industry skills he learned in North Korea to land a job as an advisor and screenwriter for CLOY. His intimate knowledge of the daily life and social/military structure of North Korea enriches this series with a depth and accuracy that is unique.
Intro to KDrama Option 2.
If Crash Landing on You doesn’t sound like something you’d be interested in, try this historical drama:
- Mr. Sunshine 2018 (Netflix)
- IMBd 8.8/10
- 24 episodes, 1 season
- Historical Period Drama
After his parents are murdered by the nobles who enslaved them, a young boy escapes from Joseon to the United States in the 1870’s. Years later he returns as a US Marine Corps captain on a political assignment to the country that enslaved and rejected him.
In this turbulent time when the (pre-Korea) Joseon Dynasty is beginning to succumb to Japanese invasion, Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-Hun) falls in love with a noblewoman, Go Ae-Shine (Kim Tae-Ri), who is secretly a political fighter trying to save her country.
With excellent cinematography and costumes, strong acting, memorable characters, including a strong female lead, this period drama offers a great love story as well as an intriguing lesson in Korean history.